


Instinct

by Captainalbertalexander



Series: MCR Super Sleuths [1]
Category: My Chemical Romance
Genre: Based on an episode of Instinct, Blood and Violence, Consultant!Gerard, Danger Days Era Frank, Danger Days Era Mikey, Desolation Row Era Gerard, M/M, Mild Gore, Murder, Policeman!Ray, Vampire Gerard Way, policeman!frank
Language: English
Status: Completed
Published: 2018-06-25
Updated: 2018-07-09
Packaged: 2019-05-28 07:19:55
Rating: Mature
Warnings: Graphic Depictions Of Violence
Chapters: 7
Words: 8,290
Publisher: archiveofourown.org
Story URL: https://archiveofourown.org/works/15043643
Author URL: https://archiveofourown.org/users/Captainalbertalexander/pseuds/Captainalbertalexander
Summary: I watched half an episode of Instinct (crime show on CBS) with my mom and got to thinking, and this will be the result. The "killer" on the show exsanguinates a victim, that's where the vampire parts I thought of came in. The first series of chapters will be about that episode. If I feel like it I'll make another part in this work about other crimes or make it a collection. Sass galore.





	1. Chapter 1

“That’s just sick,” gagged the crime scene photographer as he snapped a picture of the room. A young girl in her early twenties lay on the ground, limbs skewed haphazardly, covered with huge bores in her neck, shoulder, and stomach areas.

“I know, right?” answered a crime scene analyst. “The shit people come up with these days…” They were busy taking samples and dusting for prints to hopefully glean any evidence of who had committed this awful crime. 

Outside the warehouse where the victim was found stood detectives Iero and Toro. They had been assigned the lead on this investigation. They stood near a police car, deep in conversation. 

“This seems a little too cut and dried for me, Ray,” Detective Iero sighed. “This is the first kill we’ve seen this depraved in a while, maybe a year or two. Do we have a fresh new serial killer running around?”

“I don’t know man,” Detective Toro replied, running a hand through his massive hair. “This is just the first one; we can’t tell if there’s gonna be another one soon, or another one at all. The killer left us nothing to indicate he’s gonna do it again.”

Just then, a Junior Detective ran out to them. “There’s a video playing!” he shouted. “C’mere, quick!”

Toro and Iero jogged back into the warehouse. A projector was playing a video on a blank wall. All it showed so far was the victim tied to a chair.

“How did an entire projector and laptop go unnoticed?!” Iero asked angrily. The Junior Detective gulped, “Sorry boss, there’s no lights in here yet. No one brought any of those standing ones.”

Everyone’s eyes were turned back to the screen when a masked man came into the shot. The girl looked visibly uncomfortable, wriggling in her seat. The man slowly walked up to her, stalking his prey. In one hand he held a large drill, pressing the trigger and making it whir every few seconds. “You deserve this,” the killer said in a warped voice. “You deserve this because I’m better than you.”

The girl started hyperventilating, “What are you doing? Stop, please! Stop!” as the man leveled the drill at her temple and started drilling. The detectives looked away, grimacing as the sounds of drilling and screaming were heard. 

Detective Iero ran to the laptop and projector, trying to get either device to stop the video. He held the power button on the projector, forcing it off.

“Holy shit,” Detective Toro breathed. That video was enough to scar any one of the detectives’ brains. 

“We gotta call in backup…” Detective Iero whispered to himself, pinching the bridge of his nose. He dreaded the next words he needed to say.

“Toro! Get ahold of the Ways.”


	2. Chapter 2

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> I'd like to strangle the people who mix up cue and queue. not as much as people who think que is an english word, though.

“Jesus Christ,” mumbled Gerard. He was on his way to the police station again at two in the afternoon. “These fuckin’ police calling at all hours of the day… Got no concept of beauty sleep.”

He stumbled out of his basement apartment, fumbling for his keys to lock the door behind him. He made sure he had his sunglasses and umbrella with him, wardrobe necessities he could literally not live without. He stepped up the stairs to the sidewalk and opened his black umbrella with a flourish, scrambling for his protective eye gear. He slipped his aviators on with a sigh, grateful for their extra strength light blockage. With that, he started towards the precinct. 

At the NYPD police station, Detectives Iero and Toro were impatiently waiting for Way’s arrival. Or at least Frank was. He twirled around a couple times in his spinning office chair and groaned, “What the fuck is taking him so long?” 

“He’s gotta be careful, remember? We called in the middle of the afternoon,” Toro reasoned.

“So?” Iero snorted, “Not my fault Needle Teeth has a different sleep schedule than the entire NYPD.”

Just then, to Frank’s luck, Gerard swept into the small meeting office. “I heard that,” he growled, resting his sunglasses on top of his head and levelling Detective Iero with a chilling stare. 

“I meant for you to,” Frank retorted. 

“Gerard!” Ray butted in, standing up to greet the consultant. “Great to see you again! Well, not under these circumstances, but still…”

They shook hands and Gerard grinned, showing his ever-present fangs. “Don’t worry Ray, I get it,” he chuckled. He then turned to Frank and said disdainfully, “Iero.”

Frank crossed his arms in his seat, refusing to get up to welcome the vampire. “Way,” he said, equally as condescendingly. 

“Come on guys, let’s try to be civil for once,” Ray pleaded. “Where’s Mikey?” he asked, fishing for a conversation changer. 

“I left him at home; he didn’t need to be woken up for this. I’ll just tell him the details later. Email him the case file or something though, would you?” Gerard asked.

“Sure thing,” Ray smiled. “Before we debrief you, you want something to drink? The coffee is shitty, but it does the job.”

Gerard smiled back. He appreciated that Ray remembered his caffeine addiction. “Yeah, thanks, I didn’t get a chance to grab a cup yet.”

“Coming right up,” Ray said, already halfway out of the room. He knew the answer to his question already; it was just nice to ask.

A slightly tense silence fell over the office now that the buffer between the detective and the vampire was gone. 

“Thanks for the call, by the way,” Gerard started. “It gets boring working in the other departments. Homicide just has that ‘je ne sais quoi’, you know?”

“I’m sure it does,” Frank scoffed. Of course the vampire liked the homicide department the best. What a stereotype.

Gerard sent a sharp glare at the detective. “Not like that, dumbass.” 

“What other way was I supposed to take it then, huh?” Frank snapped back. 

“Whatever,” Gerard dismissed, waving an agitated hand. He wished Ray would come back soon so they can get this meeting over with. 

As if on cue, Ray bounced back into the office. “Black, with a shit ton of sugar,” he announced, handing the consultant his drink.

“Thanks, Ray.” Gerard took a sip and sighed happily.

“Alright, let’s get this party started.” Ray clapped his hands. He shoved a laptop under the vampire’s nose. 

“That’s the video we got after we started analyzing the scene.” He clicked start as he kept talking. 

“The victim’s name is Charlotte Chen, twenty years old. Died from, well, you’ll see.” Ray pointed to the screen. The killer was next to Charlotte now, about to drill into her temple. “You deserve this,” the killer said again. “You deserve this because I’m better than you.”

Gerard paused the video. “’Because I’m better than you.’ What the fuck is that supposed to mean?”

“We don’t know,” Ray responded. “That’s why we called you.” 

Frank spoke for the first time since Ray came back. “He’s jealous.”

The vampire and the detective turned to him. “Go on,” Gerard prompted.

“He obviously knows her. She did something to make him feel inadequate, and he snapped. Classic cishet white guy bullshit.”

Gerard threw his head back and barked a laugh. Ray and Frank looked at him, startled. “Sorry,” he said. “Iero just has a very good point.”

The two detectives stared at the consultant like he had grown a second head. It was unheard of that Frank and Gerard agreed on anything. 

“Anyway,” Gerard continued, “does she have a place of employment? Or is she a student?”

“Yeah, she’s a student,” Ray said awkwardly. “She goes to Columbia University, School of the Arts.”

“Damn,” Gerard whistled. “She must’ve been a hell of an artist.”

“She was a film maker,” Frank interjected. 

Gerard contemplated for a minute before asking, “Is that why the killer made a video? Maybe he was a classmate…”

Ray made an interested noise. “We should talk to her professors. See if there was any competition in her classes.”

“Good idea,” the vampire concluded. He got up from his seat, saying, “I’ll go interview her professors. I went to the School of the Arts; it shouldn’t be too hard to get the school to cooperate.”

“You? The School of the Arts?” Frank gaped. 

Gerard scoffed. “Yeah, like it was hard.”

“That’s fascinating!” Ray said. “What did you major in?”

“Drawing and Painting, with a minor in Comics,” Gerard replied.

“What the hell got you here, then?” Frank asked faintly, still blown away by his colleague’s academic achievements. 

“Long story,” the consultant dismissed. “Let’s just get to the school first.”


	3. Chapter 3

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> https://fuckinpickles.tumblr.com/post/155571803966 
> 
> what I imagine Gerard looks like putting up with Frank's utter bullshit
> 
> also go watch Emara: Emirates Hero on youtube its a really good little cartoon series about a hijabi superhero  
> هذه الحبقة الأولى على القناة الرسمية بالعربية الفصحى: https://www.youtube.com/watch?v=LneTmKxQzkY  
> don't worry there's english subtitles and the theme song is bangin

“How the fuck did we get stuck together?” Frank complained. He was driving in a police cruiser with his not so best friend Gerard. 

“Shut up, I’m not that bad,” the consultant pouted. “I’m the one with the connections to the college; you could’ve just stayed at the precinct and made Ray come with me.”

“Whatever, fussyfangs,” Frank muttered. He gripped the steering wheel tightly, turning his knuckles white. He hoped they got this case over with, and soon. For his sake and for the sake of everyone around him. 

Frank eventually pulled into a visitor parking lot in the campus, staring oddly when the vampire got out and opened his umbrella. 

“What?” Gerard sighed. He could feel Iero’s eyes on him with every move he made. 

Frank huffed, pinching the bridge of his nose. Gerard noticed it was a habit of the younger detective’s. “Why do you have to open that every time there’s so much as a patch of light in your way? Doesn’t it get tedious?”

Gerard laughed, “You know nothing of vampires, do you Iero? And you call yourself Italian!”

“What’s that supposed to mean?!” Frank seethed. 

“Oh, nothing,” Gerard teased. “Let’s just get inside, shall we?”

Frank dejectedly followed the consultant into the nearest building. They went down a couple hallways peppered with meandering students, on their way to something or other. Eventually the detective was lead into a lecture styled classroom, with seats like an amphitheater. The professor was talking rapidly and gesturing to the blackboard, where a screen had been pulled down and a film was displayed on it. Frank got out his police badge, ready to flash it at the teacher to address the immediacy of the situation, when Gerard gave him a warning look.

“What?” Frank hissed.

“I like what he’s talking about, don’t stop him now,” Gerard replied with an evil smirk.

By that time, the professor had noticed them standing near the entryway. He called over to them, “Can I help you gentlemen?”

Frank held up his badge for a moment and said, “NYPD, sir. We’d just like you to answer some questions.”

The teacher looked around the classroom nervously, not wanting the students to overhear. “Alright, class dismissed. This video will be up on the website if you need it,” he announced.

The detective and consultant approached the professor at his desk. “Sorry to interrupt your lesson, but we need some answers about a homicide," Frank apologized.

“Dear Lord,” the professor rested a hand on his chest, “who was it?” he asked breathily, like he was suddenly winded.

“Charlotte Chen.” Gerard replied coolly.

“She was one of my best students,” the man lamented. “Sorry, I’m Mark. Mark Williams.” He seemed to snap out of it a little as he shook the other men’s hands. 

“I’m Detective Iero, and this is Gerard Way, NYPD consultant,” Frank said, vaguely gesturing at his companion as he introduced him. 

“Mr. Williams,” Gerard smoothly interrupted what Frank was going to say next, “is this class… competitive? Do students try to outdo each other perhaps?”

“Well,” Williams began, “we do have a scholarship application that requires an original piece of film, and it’s been getting a lot of attention. Maybe another student didn’t want her to win? I know she was filming a piece for the application…”

Gerard nodded along to Williams’ contemplations, seemingly very interested. He added, “Maybe you could give us a few names so we can interview them as well?”

“One person that comes to mind is Henry, he hasn’t been to class in a couple of days… I would say they had a bit of a rivalry.” The professor shifted uncomfortably. “He’s a good kid though, I’m not sure if he could do such a thing.”

Frank sighed and said, “Thank you for the information sir. We’ll be sure to talk with him.”

The pair left the classroom, walking back outside. “Given the calculated planning,” Gerard started while unfurling his signature umbrella, “we’re dealing with a psychopath. A sociopath is too impulsive for this sort of thing, the video especially.”

He was interrupted when Frank’s cellphone rang. He dug through his pockets, putting the cellphone to his ear. “Hello?”

It was Ray. “Hey, I have some urgent news here. You know the video we saw at the warehouse? Someone put it up on the student website. They can post assignments and stuff on there apparently, and the video went out to a good part of the student body.”

“Shit!” Gerard cursed. Of course he could hear the phone conversation, Frank realized after giving the vampire a questioning look.

“Okay, we’ll talk to the IT department and see if we can get it down as soon as we can,” Frank assured.

“The less people who see it, the better,” Ray advised. 

Frank hung up and swore under his breath. “So he plays the video to us at the crime scene, now he shows it to half the student body. What does that mean? He’s some sort of homicidal exhibitionist?”

“Or a ‘murder artist’, like The Zodiac?” Gerard pondered. “By filming the murder and showing it to as many people as he did, it gives him a sense of power and fulfillment.” 

“But he could risk getting caught so much easier,” Frank argued.

“That may not matter, as long as they’re getting satisfaction out of doing the act and displaying it to as many people as possible,” Gerard reasoned. “An arrogant psychopath craves center stage, and they can never get enough.”

Just then, a bloodcurdling scream erupted from somewhere near the area. The partners looked around rapidly, trying to find the source. Gerard pointed to an open grate next to a building. “There!” he said before running to the building’s basement. 

Frank struggled to keep up, but when they got to the source of the shouting there was a locked gate between them and a masked man with a chainsaw, and a girl in the corner on a chair, still shrieking.

“Get your gun out!” Gerard yelled at Frank. The vampire then proceeded to tear the gate open with his bare hands. Before Frank even had time to comprehend that amazing feat of strength, the door was pried open and they ran into the room.

“NYPD! Put the chainsaw down!” Gerard snarled, going into a defensive stance in front of Frank. His fangs gleamed in the low light as he bared them menacingly at the masked assailant. 

“Whoa, holy shit dude!” The disguised man said before taking off his mask. “What’s going on?”

“We should be saying that to you, buddy!” Frank said, indignant. 

“I’m making a film, and you just ruined my shot!” the guy snapped back.

“Oh my fucking God,” Gerard muttered. He stood up straight and stalked over to the student. “We’re investigating a murder on campus, and you have this convenient setup?” he growled.

The kid looked like he was about to shit his pants from the combination of the vampire’s threatening form right in front of him and the mention of homicide. “Mu-murder?!” he stuttered, “What murder?”

“Charlotte Chen, ring a bell?” asked Frank, monotone.

“Yeah, she’s a classmate. Or was, I guess…” The boy put the chainsaw down on a nearby table.

“You’re Henry, correct?” Gerard asked. Frank had gone over to question the girl in the chair.

“Uh-huh, how do you know?” Henry said nervously.

Gerard scoffed. “If you’re suggesting some freaky vampire powers, guess again. We spoke to your film teacher.”

“Oh, okay,” Henry sighed, relaxing a bit more. “So you’re not gonna, like, bite me or anything are you? You’re the cops, right?”

“Oh my fucking God,” Gerard grumbled, again. This happened with anyone he met though, especially younger people. “Of course I’m not gonna God damn bite you! What do you think I am, a savage?”

“N-no, I didn’t mean that, I’m sorry,” Henry backpedaled. 

“Whatever,” the consultant groused. He called to Frank. “Iero! Let’s get Hollywood Movie Magic over here to the station, yeah?”

“Okay!” Frank called back. He walked over to where the vampire and the student were standing. “Next time kid,” he quipped, “invest in somewhere with soundproofing.”

The detective led the way out of the basement with Henry in the middle and Gerard at the rear. When they got outside, Frank heard the telltale sound of that damned umbrella opening again. Henry heard it too and jumped, turning to the source of the noise.

“Keep moving, kid,” Gerard scowled.

It took some time to look for the police vehicle, seeing as the detectives had been running all over hell and sundry. When they all finally got into the car, Frank heaved a relieved sigh.

“Don’t get too comfortable, Iero,” Gerard said. “We still got some interrogation to do.”


	4. Chapter 4

“So, are we doing good cop bad cop?” Frank asked. “He seemed pretty scared of you… We could use that.”

Gerard huffed, “Why are people still afraid of vampires? It’s twenty-fucking-eighteen, I thought it wasn’t a problem anymore.”

They were standing in a small room, looking through a two-way mirror. They had brought Henry into the room and sat him down, and told him to wait while they get their paperwork. In actuality, they just wanted to see how he acted once he thought he was alone.

“Well,” Frank started, “you guys have only been out for what, thirty-six, thirty-seven years? You know what America is like, won’t let go of anything. He was probably still taught that vampires are dangerous and cunning monsters.”

“I am a dangerous and cunning monster, that’s not the point,” the consultant laughed. “The point is, for a kid who is making a slasher film for his scholarship application, he seems awfully skittish.”

“Maybe too much caffeine?” Frank postulated. “I know when I was in college I was hyped up on energy drinks and Adderall; I must’ve looked like a druggie.”

Gerard heaved a sigh, scrubbing his hands on his face agitatedly. “There’s only one way to find out I guess… Good cop bad cop it is.”

“Yes!” Frank said excitedly. He looked positively gleeful.

“Don’t take it too far! We don’t want to scare the kid more by you threatening to sic me on him!” Gerard called as Frank flew out the door. The vampire needed some coffee to deal with this interrogation.

When he stepped into the room with his coffee, courtesy of the shit NYPD coffee maker, Frank looked up and smirked.

Gerard assumed the position in the darkest corner of the room, behind Frank and close to the door. He crossed his arms and legs, taking a sip of the sludge they call coffee here. 

“Now,” Frank began, “We’re gonna need to search your apartment. A warrant is on its way to us as we speak.”

“A search warrant? For what?” Henry asked, looking a little offended.

“Some of your colleagues suggested the film in which Charlotte was murdered was very similar to your own work,” Gerard said darkly.

“I saw that video, my video was nothing like that piece of crap! Just because the aesthetic is the same doesn’t mean I did it!” Henry became visibly distressed at the notion that his work was being compared to the killer’s.

Just then, Detective Toro burst in. “Way, I need a word. It’s urgent.”

The vampire left his coffee on the table and slunk out of the room behind the taller detective. They stopped right outside the door. “What’s so important that you would interrupt an interrogation with our main suspect?” he griped.

“Listen, I was taking a statement from that girl Henry was making the movie with, Naomi? He was using a chainsaw, right?” Ray explained. 

Gerard nodded his head. “But what does that have to do with anything?”

“She said he changed the weapon in his film from a drill to the chainsaw this morning. We also did a quick search of the kid’s apartment, and look what we found.” 

Ray handed Gerard a ticket stub. It was from the night of the murder. Toro wrung his hands, anxious to see what Gerard thought. 

“Holy shit!” the consultant breathed. “This pretty much seals the deal! He could’ve gotten that ticket to throw us off! Thank you Ray.” He clapped his companion on the bicep.

Before Ray could say anything else, Gerard swept back into the room. He slammed his hands down on the table and growled, “Your murder weapon in the film up until this morning was a drill. Charlotte was murdered with a drill. Care to explain?” 

“I swear, I had nothing to do with it!” Henry cried. “The only reason why I changed it was because someone stole the drill I had! And my computer’s hard drive!”

“Maybe you need to keep better track of your stuff,” Detective Iero said, ramping up the intensity as he continued talking, “or maybe you dumped the drill somewhere after you used it to kill Charlotte!” 

Their good cop bad cop routine became more of a bad cop bad cop situation.

“Where were you last night?” Frank continued.

“Home,” Henry gulped. “Listen, I know that’s a shitty alibi bu-“

“And that’s where I’m gonna have to call bullshit, buddy,” Frank interrupted. “We found a ticket stub from the night of the murder in your apartment.”

“Professor Williams made us go for an assignment. I was there in the early evening, then I went home. I’m sure most of my classmates can corroborate on my whereabouts.” Henry crossed his arms, becoming defensive again.

“A classmate of yours, Naomi, said there was some animosity between yourself and Charlotte? Care to explain?” Gerard asked with a deadly purr. 

“There’s nothing wrong with some healthy competition,” Henry argued.

“Oh?” Gerard questioned in a pseudo sweet voice, leering. “She described it as a little more than that, wouldn’t you say, Detective Iero?”

“Well, I interviewed her at the school before we came to the station, and she said it was quite cutthroat in the classroom,” Frank said casually.

“It’s that scholarship, isn’t it? You wanted it so bad you were willing to kill for it.” Gerard’s voice took on a cold, hard-edged quality. “She was number one in the class, and you just couldn’t stand it, could you? Being so close behind yet never quite there?”

“I wouldn’t kill for a competition!” Henry was slowly getting more and more agitated. They were hoping to get him so angry that he would let something slip.

“Look, even though we competed… Charlotte couldn’t have been nicer. She respected everyone in that class as filmmakers.” he became quieter as he continued talking. “That’s why I could never do it; she didn’t rub her accomplishments in others’ faces, she was very humble, she even offered to help people with their scholarship projects.”

“Well,” Frank concluded, standing up and gathering his files, “let’s see if the theater’s security footage matches up with your story.”

Detective Iero walked out of the interrogation room, leaving Henry and Gerard alone. Gerard slowly approached the boy and sat down on the other side of the table.

After a few seconds, Gerard spoke. “You really enjoy Professor Williams’ class, don’t you?”

“Yeah, I do,” Henry sighed. “He let me take time out of his class to let me work on films for small festivals and stuff. He’s not just a teacher, really. He’s a mentor. A true filmmaker.”

Gerard smiled softly at the boy. “I was a teacher once. I hope that some of my students liked me as much as you do him. What makes him such a good teacher?” 

“He says that film isn’t just an art form; it’s life. And, like life, trust is everything. I trust him with my life,” Henry explained, giving a small smile back. 

“Hmm. I wouldn’t trust that many people with my life, let alone a hard drive,” Gerard smirked.

Henry’s face dropped. He became white as a sheet as he asked nervously, “What do you mean?”

Gerard gestured to Henry, saying, “Why don’t you tell me?”


	5. Chapter 5

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> y'all should watch the episode... i didn't model it exactly like the tv show tho, i did my own thing and the show was just a guideline and i got quotes.   
> https://www.cbs.com/shows/instinct/video/wfmVpuqNEpcirMiDp2SKAsXbNJJDkZzb/instinct-live/

“Nah, I don’t think Henry did it,” Gerard said. He and Detective Iero were walking outside the college campus again, hoping to catch Professor Williams during his office hours. “He didn’t try to shirk the blame onto anyone else to throw us off his trail, he has a pretty solid alibi,… He just didn’t show the traits of a killer.”

“Okay,” Frank conceded, “but that doesn’t explain why his drill went missing or why he gave Williams his hard drive.”

The vampire thought hard for a moment, before saying, “Williams’ impact on his students is pretty impressive. I just want to know what makes him have such a cult like following.”

“Well, his office is just in this building here, so I guess we’ll find out.” Frank held open the door, rolling his eyes when Gerard fiddled with his God forsaken umbrella.  
They found the professor’s office in record time, Frank knocking on the door swiftly. The pair heard a muffled ‘come in’ answering their knock. Iero opened the door to Williams sitting at his desk, working on his computer. Once he saw who it was, he quickly turned off the monitor and asked the investigators, “You’re not seriously considering Henry as a suspect to this murder, are you? He may be an intense young man but he is not capable of doing something like that.”

“Why did he give you his hard drive?” Frank asked, folding his arms.

“To preserve his thesis film,” Williams said. “He’s been working on it for months. It’s the most important thing in his life…” he trailed off, fidgeting with his phone on the desk. “He didn’t want the footage getting lost in evidence.” 

Gerard observed as the professor kept rearranging items on his desk nervously. He narrowed his eyes, sensing there was more to the situation than what Williams was telling. “So, you’re protecting your student?” he discerned.

“Well yes, I was,” Williams started, “but I sure as hell don’t want to get in the way of a murder investigation.” Gerard sat down in the seats opposite Williams’ desk. Iero shot him a look of confusion, before deciding to remain standing. 

As Gerard took a seat, he noticed the professor become more restless, like he wanted to leave the room quite badly. “The drive is locked in the editing room, come on,” Williams said as he grabbed his bag and coat.

“What’s the rush?” Gerard interrupted fake casually. What was in this room that Williams didn’t want them to see?

“Well, I’d hate to be late for class,” the teacher said, as though it were obvious. 

“You’re already late for class.” Frank had caught onto why Gerard was intent on staying here. Williams was acting very strange, even for someone without extra-sensory perception to detect odd behavior. Iero continued, “We went to your class before this, and your students said you’d be here.” Of course they hadn’t, but Frank didn’t want to admit the professor outwitted them. He needed to stay a step ahead with Williams.

“What’s keeping you here, in your office?” Frank had just about run out of patience. He wanted Williams to spill already and make his job easier.

“Nothing, nothing at all!” Williams stuttered. He looked like a cornered animal at this point.

“Mister Williams,” Gerard sighed, “there are tells people have when they’re lying. Like grooming gestures, or needing to adjust your surroundings. I’ve watched you fiddle with your phone and desk items since the moment we got here. Before that, when we walked into the room, you almost fell over yourself to turn the computer monitor off. What is it that you don’t want us to see?”

The professor looked frustrated as he defended, “Can I not have a right to privacy?”

“Of course,” the vampire assured, “but these behaviors indicate more than a simple want to privacy.” As Gerard was talking, Frank got around the desk and turned the monitor on. The screen showed a paused video of Charlotte, her background a simply decorated bedroom. She appeared to not have a shirt on.

“What the fuck?” Iero whispered at the screen.

Williams was quick to defend himself. “That’s a film Charlotte did on subverting the male gaze.” His voice became hardened, trying to convince the detectives of its face value. 

The pair completely ignored him as the film played. It showed Charlotte scantily clad in black lingerie, crawling on top of a man fully covered by the sheets except for his face. The face was none other than Professor Williams himself. 

Frank was quick to pause the film as Charlotte began to… engage with Professor Williams. “Wow,” Gerard said, “you really do get to know your students, don’t you?”  
“It’s not what it looks like,” Williams reminded the investigators.

“Oh really?” Frank rounded on Williams. “Because it looks like you had an extramarital affair with one of your students, who died shortly after!” Frank then stormed out of the office, fuming.

“We’ll definitely call upon you later for an interview. Good day, Mister Williams,” Gerard said shortly. He then ran after his enraged colleague.  
\---

“Iero!” 

Frank heard the vampire calling after him, but he paid no attention to his associate’s summonings. He was too upset to let anyone talk to him quite yet.

“Frank! Please wait!”

The detective huffed, but stopped anyway. When Gerard caught up to him, he asked, “What happened back there?”

“I just hate it when older men manipulate young women like that. He probably had her wrapped around his pinkie finger! He probably doesn’t even care that she’s dead! One less thing to have to tell his wife!” Frank seethed.

Gerard put a hand on his colleague’s shoulder. “Listen,” he said gently, “we don’t know what happened to Charlotte in full detail yet. It is regrettable that she may have died because of the affair, but we don’t know if that’s why she died. I understand your views on the situation, but before we let our emotions get in the way, we need to find out what really happened to her, okay?”

“Yeah,” Frank sighed. “I might’ve gotten carried away there. But it’s always just so maddening that men can have no remorse about what their actions have done to women, no matter the circumstance.”

Gerard smiled lightly. “I feel the same way, Frank. Now let’s just get back to the station and see what we can find about this affair, yes?”


	6. Chapter 6

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> i think this'll be the second to last chapter, yay. i'll put up the ending soon.

Back at the station, the two detectives and the consultant reconvened in the small office from the day before. 

“I sent all the information to Mikey from the scene, and what we found from the interview with Henry,” Detective Toro notified the other members of their small group.

“Excellent,” Gerard replied. “I got him to look at Charlotte’s emails with Professor Williams. She was absolutely infatuated with him. She threatened to announce his affair with her if he didn’t break it off with his wife in a timely manner.”

Frank gaped. “That’s certainly a motive for him to off her,” he commented.

“But if Williams killed Charlotte, then why would he make such a display about it? He wanted to keep his affair as discreet as possible,” Gerard put in. Ray suggested, “Maybe to throw suspicion from him and to someone else? Or maybe Henry did it?”

“Svengali Syndrome,” Gerard said suddenly. “Henry would do anything for Professor Williams. Williams could have manipulated Henry into killing Charlotte so he didn’t have to do the dirty work!”

“But he didn’t know Henry would film it and distribute it like that, surely,” Frank added.

Then, Gerard got a text. He didn’t really like technology, but for his brother’s sake he had a cell phone. The text was from Mikey. Gerard read it and cursed. “Williams’ alibi is airtight, guys. He was at a dinner with his wife and another couple.”

“Well, who’s to say Henry still didn’t do it for him?” Ray supposed.

“Maybe…” Gerard trailed off. He really didn’t think Henry had it in him though, at the end of the day.

Another text from Mikey. Gerard took one more look and practically threw his phone. “Henry’s hard drive is completely clean! We don’t have anything to pin him with!”

“Ah fuck…” Frank murmured. Ray shook his head in defeat.

“Now just hold on a God damn minute!” Gerard had an epiphany. “What about all those other kids? What kind of shit must they feel like to know Williams had his teacher’s pets, and doesn’t care about anyone else? That means anyone in that class could’ve done it! They could blame it on their ‘unrecognized talent’, or something like pure jealousy!”

“Oh my God!” Frank enthused, “You’re totally right! It’s like those other students didn’t even exist! That would be enough to set someone off!”

“The video,” Ray interjected. “That’s why they did the video. They wanted their ‘talent’ recognized, that’s why they put out the video!”

Gerard clapped Ray on the back. “Genius as always, Ray,” he praised.

“The question is, which one would do it?” Frank wondered.

Gerard got one more text. ‘It was the TA’, said Mikey. How he could put that together, Gerard had no clue. But it all made sense.

“Mikey said it was the TA!” Gerard relayed.

Frank frowned in confusion. “Williams had a TA?” 

“Exactly what I’m thinking! Wouldn’t the TA be on a high standing with Williams if they were his right hand? But they were never even mentioned by the professor!” The detectives could see the gears in Gerard’s brilliant mind turning at full capacity.

Frank got up from his seat, saying, “We have to find this TA! If the best in class are being targeted, Henry is next! We’ve gotta stop them before Henry gets killed!”

\---

Gerard and Frank arrived at the college once more. They raced to Williams; office, hoping he would be there. Lo and behold, the professor was at his desk again.  
“Professor! Please tell us about your TA, it’s urgent,” Gerard pleaded. 

Williams snorted. “I’m not talking to either of you without a lawyer present.”

“Mister Williams, you’re not even on the suspect list anymore,” Frank said. “Just please tell us about them.”

“Spencer? What about him?” Williams asked bewilderedly. 

“Why is he your TA, how did he get this position?” Gerard pried. “Was he the top of a previous class?”

Williams sighed, “His parents made a very generous donation to the film department here. Spencer fancies himself a master filmmaker, but he’s just not cut out for it.”

“Do you think he would target your gifted students to make people watch his films?” Frank speculated.

“I’m not sure,” Williams pondered. “He’s not an especially violent type. He mostly pouts after I give him a bad review.”

“And you gave him a bad review for his scholarship video?” Gerard questioned.

“I absolutely did. I told him it was weak, anemic even, but he didn’t let it faze him from what I saw.” Professor Williams pulled up a document on his computer. “Here’s his entry; it’s just him complaining that his parents are never there for him. They’re both in the housing business, selling overpriced homes.”

“Mommy? Daddy?” Spencer said from the video. “Come say hi! Oh that’s right; mommy and daddy are too busy designing peoples’ dream homes. Thinking they’re better. But I don’t care. Because I’m better than you.”

“I’m better than you… That’s what the killer in the video said to Charlotte before he killed her.” This seemingly insignificant phrase sealed the deal for Gerard. He was sure Spencer had committed the murder.

“Did you say who the scholarship was going to be awarded to?” Frank asked.

“Yes, I said it was going to be Charlotte or Henry,” Williams replied.

Gerard became panicked as he asked, “Where does Spencer live? We’ve got to apprehend him.”

“I’ll check on the school database,” Williams told them as he poked around on his computer. Suddenly a popup message came onto the screen. 

“It’s that anonymous video, just like the one with Charlotte,” Frank muttered. “Open it.”

Williams clicked on the message. The same masked assailant Frank had seen in the first video appeared on the screen. “I will premiere my next video very soon,” he said. “It will be unforgettable!” The killer spread his arms out in a grand gesture. 

“Professor Williams, I’m sorry you find my films ‘anemic’.” The figure went on. "But I will make you proud.” He moved out of the way of the camera, revealing Henry tied to a chair like Charlotte was.

“Please!” Henry cried, “Don’t do this!” 

The killer walked to Henry’s chair. “You want us to grab our viewers?” he taunted. “Surprise them? Push the limits of reality?” He then came back up close to the camera. “You want authenticity?” He asked. 

“This film is live. But good luck trying to find us.”

\---

Ray put down the phone and said, “No one’s in Spencer’s apartment, and we can’t get ahold of Henry’s parents.”

The detective, consultant, and professor came back to the precinct as fast as they could. Gerard demanded all hands on deck to find Henry and stop Spencer from killing again. The live feed was on the biggest screen in the building, monitoring Spencer’s every move.

“This kid sure did snap,” Ray observed.

“Yeah, and instead of taking it out on the person on the top, aka Professor Williams, he chose to wipe out the competition instead.” Gerard was getting antsy. They tried tracking the IP address of the video, but Spencer used a scrambling device to throw off any trackers.

Just then, Mikey burst into the room. “Make that tracker search within a twenty mile radius!” he snapped at the tech operator.

“What a time to come in, brother,” Gerard smirked.

“Oh, shut up you,” Mikey scowled, not completely seriously.

The tech operator called, “There’s reoccurring IP addresses in Brooklyn!”

“I’m coming with!” Mikey immediately said before Gerard could run off.

“Fine, but you’re staying in the cruiser,” Gerard groused.

Frank told the tech operator, “Call us or send us the address once you find it! We’re going to be in the area so we can get there as quick as possible!”

But before anyone could leave the room, the killer spoke up on the tv. “Now it’s time for little golden boy Henry to be anemic, just like my work, apparently.”  
“His punishment,” Spencer went on, “death by exsanguination.”

“If Spencer drains him, Henry will have less than an hour to live!” Gerard exclaimed. 

Frank started towards the door. “Let’s go then, before it’s too late!” he called over his shoulder.


	7. Chapter 7

**Summary for the Chapter:**

> and i thought i was gonna get this shit done in a week fuck me amirite ladies

The police cruiser holding Gerard, Frank, and Mikey was zooming down the streets of Brooklyn, lights flashing and sirens blaring. Gerard was on the line with the NYPD to see if they could get a better, more narrowed down address. He also had a small iPad with the live feed of Henry and Spencer in his lap.

“Henry is looking cyanotic. If we don’t get there in time, he’ll go into cardiac arrest,” relayed Gerard.

On the other line, Ray said, “Okay, we’ve gotten it narrowed down to three locations!”

“Three locations isn’t gonna help us,” Frank growled. His knuckles were stark white on the steering wheel, arms tense.

“Wait, Ray,” Gerard interrupted. “Are any of those locations where Spencer’s parents had built a house?”

“No, but they recently acquired a plot of land where an old factory is waiting to be torn down!” Ray shouted. “It’s Eighty-eight Elm Street! Go get ‘em!”

“Thanks, Ray.” Gerard hung up the phone and heaved a huge sigh of relief. “Okay Henry, just hang on,” he mumbled to the screen.

Frank took a sharp left, recognizing the streets to get to the abandoned building. “You should probably call some sort of emergency service; tell them to bring units of blood,” he suggested.

Gerard’s eyes were transfixed on the screen, noting how much blood Henry had already lost. “They wouldn’t get here in time,” he realized. “We have to distract Spencer!”

“Yeah? And how the fuck are we gonna do that, genius,” Frank snorted.

Mikey popped up from the back seat. “Take away the factor in all this that’s most important to him,” he said plainly.

“The live feed!” Gerard yelled in triumph. “I knew I brought you along for something, little brother,” he said with a smile. He called Ray again, impatiently hearing the rings to connect him to the policeman.

“Ray!” he shouted as soon as he knew Ray picked up, “We gotta stop Spencer’s live feed!”

“I’m not sure if we can,” Ray said nervously. “We’ve got all our tech people here, but I’m not sure we’re equipped to do something like that.”

“Didn’t you guys hire those deep-web hacker people for a reason? Tell them they can do whatever illegal shit they need if they have to; it’s to save a life!” Gerard retorted.

“Fine, I’ll tell them to do their worst,” Ray assured. “Stay on the line.”

“Tell them they’ve got less than five minutes!” the vampire barked at the receiver. “Are we almost there, Frank?” he asked his partner.

“We should be getting there soon, yeah,” Frank replied frustratedly.

All of a sudden, Gerard’s live feed to Spencer’s sadistic show cut off. “Ray!” he said frantically, “Was that our guys?!”

“Yeah, we got it down.” Ray sounded relieved. “I don’t know how long it’s gonna be down for though.”

“A couple minutes should do it,” Gerard answered. “In the meantime, get a paramedic team down here as soon as you can; the ambulance isn’t gonna cut it.”

“Gotcha,” Ray responded. “I’ll see you guys back at the station after this is all over.”

“Thanks Ray!” Gerard called down the line. 

“Holy shit, there it is!” Mikey exclaimed, pointing at a dilapidated red brick factory.

Frank drove up to the side of the factory, Gerard jumping out before he could even stop the car. “Stay in the car, Mikey!” Gerard reminded his brother.

“Sorry kid,” Frank laughed.

“I’m older than you. By decades,” Mikey pouted.

Frank was already out of the car by the time Mikey could even finish his sentence, though. He got his gun out and ran after the crazy vampire consultant.

When Frank caught up, Gerard put an arm down to stop him from moving any further. Gerard pointed around a corner into the main part of the abandoned factory where a little stage was set for Spencer’s video. It had fake Tesla coils and tables of bubbling concoctions, and mysterious low lighting to make the fake horror movie vibe come together nicely. Frank peeked around the corner to see Spencer frantically typing away at his computer, mask off, his voice getting increasingly louder as he shouted obscenities at the device. 

“No! You can’t do this to me!” he half wailed, half growled. “Don’t shit out on me now!” 

While Spencer was distracted, Frank gestured for Gerard to corner the TA from one side, and he would take the other. Gerard nodded, then swiftly came up to the left side of the stage. 

“Spencer, NYPD!” he snapped, suddenly procuring a firearm. The frightened killer tried to flee to the other side of the room when Frank appeared in front of him. 

Spencer scrambled for a weapon, finding the drill he used on Charlotte. He ran up to Henry’s side, pointing the weapon at his victim’s lolled head. He grabbed the back of Henry’s head by his hair, bringing his head upright as he pulled the trigger on the drill, making it whir threateningly. 

“Stay away from me,” he warned. This was gonna be better than anything he,” Spencer shook Henry’s head, “or Charlotte ever did.”

As the TA was rambling, Frank slowly snuck up behind him, waiting for the right moment. Gerard saw Frank’s movement through the dim light and stood his ground in front of Spencer, sparing a glance for Frank every now and then.

“This,” the demented young man said, “this is real authenticity! Isn’t this what Professor Williams wanted?!” 

“The movie’s over, Spencer,” Gerard growled, stepping up his intimidation act. He bared his fangs at him aggressively. “It’s time for the curtains to close.”

“NO!” Spencer screamed violently. “It’s over when everyone sees the bad guy die…” he trailed off.

Gerard shook his head. “But no one’s watching you anymore,” he pointed out. “Your feed’s been cut, you have no audience!”

Just then, Frank came right up behind Spencer, knocking the drill out of his hand. He grabbed the killer’s arm and flipped him over on his back, grabbing his handcuffs. “Spencer Baymore,” he recited, “you are under the arrest for the murder of Charlotte Chen and the attempted murder of Henry McClintock.”

By then, emergency services had run into the building, supplies in hand. Gerard was already at Henry’s side, prying open his eyelids. “He’s still conscious, hurry!” he beckoned the paramedics closer. “Hey, look alive, Henry,” Gerard whispered, patting his face lightly. Henry groaned, opening one eye blearily. 

The paramedics had bags of fluids ready for Henry. While Gerard freed the almost passed out boy, they busily inserted all kinds of needles attached to tubes and bags into him. Gerard offered to carry him out, but the paramedics said they had a gurney waiting.

Once everyone was out of the abandoned factory, Frank and Gerard settled back into their car to drive back to the precinct.  
“Ugh,” Mikey complained, “I can smell the blood on you guys.”

“Really?” Frank asked, “We didn’t even come into direct contact with any!”

“It permeates,” Gerard said shortly. 

“Well then how come…?” Frank started.

“I’m not an animal, Iero,” Gerard interrupted. “Plus, I kind of held my breath most of the time,” he added quietly. 

“Ha! You’re not immune to it either, Mister holier-than-thou,” Frank joked. 

Gerard turned to the window, mumbling, “Whatever.”

\---

A few days later, Gerard got another call to the police department. This time, it was later than they’d usually call, but still an outlandish five in the evening.  
When the vampire finally got there, he was greeted by detectives Iero and Toro. “Hey Gerard! Great work with the Scholarship Homicides!” Ray enthused.

Gerard asked with a chuckle, “Is that what we’re calling it?”

“Frank made up the name!” Ray fake pouted. Frank blushed ever so slightly then, a dusting of pink appearing on his cheeks.

Gerard smirked at Frank, “Is that so?”

“W-well, I know we’re not really supposed to,” Frank stuttered, “but yeah…”

“It’s clever, nonetheless,” Gerard complimented.

“We just made you come in to finalize some paperwork,” Ray subtly butted in.

Gerard blinked, “Oh! Of course, where is it?”

“it’s in Frank’s office,” Ray replied with pseudo nonchalance. He thought he was an evil mastermind, subtly pushing the two together. He had seen the way Frank looked at Gerard, all puppy-eyed. He caught quite a few glances Gerard made at Frank when he wasn’t looking too.

Gerard clapped his hands. “Alright then Iero, lead the way,” he gestured to the offices lining the wall.

“Oh, uh, okay,” Frank said, nervousness tinting his voice.

Ray watched the two of them walk into Frank’s office, delighted to play matchmaker.

\---

Frank found all the necessary paperwork on his desk and promptly handed them to Gerard. 

“Do you mind if I just stay in here to fill these out? It’ll take no more than five minutes,” Gerard asked, rifling through the papers.

“Sure, take a seat,” Frank invited. He sat down behind his desk, gesturing for the consultant to do the same.

“You got a pen I could use?” Gerard wondered as he sat opposite his police partner.

“Uh, yeah, lemme,” Frank wandered off as he pawed through his desk drawers. He chirped a little ‘aha!’ when he found a suitable utensil, passing it to the vampire.  
It was quiet for a while as Gerard scribbled on the forms, brow furrowed in concentration.

“So,” Frank squeaked, before clearing his throat and trying again. “So, uh,” he grasped for a conversation starter.

“Yes?” Gerard asked easily, raising his head to look at the man opposite him.

“I was wondering if you… wanted to uh, go get something after this?” Frank proposed anxiously.

“Frank Iero,” Gerard said, a devilish smile creeping onto his face, “are you asking me on a date?”

“No! I mean yes! I mea- ugh,” Frank sighed, giving up on any composure he managed to gather.

“I know a great pace open twenty four hours that has great frozen hot chocolates, would you like to go get one with me Frank?” Gerard offered.

A darker blush blossomed on Frank’s face as he rubbed the back of his neck nervously. “Sure, that sounds good,” he said meekly.

“Then it’s settled!” Gerard proclaimed, a bright grin on his face. “Do you need to collect anything before we depart?”

“No,” Frank answered, picking up his coat and bag, “I’ve got everything here.”

“Excellent.” Gerard opened the door to Frank’s office, gesturing his co-worker out. They stopped by Ray’s desk, Gerard dropping off his paperwork with a wink. Ray waved them off with a wiggle of his fingers, laughing as they left the building. Apparently playing cupid had worked after all.

**Notes for the Chapter:**

> alright that's it hmu if you think i should make this a series if ppl like it i'll do at least a trilogy, but not before i've caught up on my other fics.


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